U20 team leave for Youth Championship in Freetown

The Gambia national U20 team comprising 18 home-based players under the guidance of coach Lamin Sarr will today leave Banjul to take part in a two-week African international youth football championship in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The tournament, organised by Johansen of the Netherlands and his Sierra Leone wife Isha Johansen, is intended to help the participating countries to expose to international competition.

"We are giving the home-based players the opportunity to perform during the course of the championship so they could try to break their way into the professional level, hence the football scouts will be available," said the U20 team head coach Lamin Sarr.

Sarr, who spoke to Pointsport in an interview with this reporter a day before the team's departure, added that the tournament will also serve as a preparatory effort for the Gambian team as they intensify preparations for the African U20 youth championship in Tripoli, Libya, next March.

Sarr, who guided the team to their third African U20 youth championship, told Pointsport that the tournament will present his players the unique opportunity of attracting interests of various European clubs.

The Gambia is pitted in Group A together with Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ojoko FC of Nigeria, while South Africa U20, FC Johansen, Diambars Academy of Senegal and Ghana U20 make up Group B.

The Gambia confirmed its participation earlier this week and the darling Scorpions will begin the eight-team championship when they meet face to face with Ojoko FC of Nigeria tomorrow.